Can making machine



Oct. 20, 1942. KRUEGER 2,299,097

CAN MAKING MACHINE Original Filed June 29, 1939 FRANK KRUEGER @404 haw,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented I Oct. 20, 1942 STATES UNHTE.

PATENT QEFl-CE CAN MAKING DIACHINE Frank Krueger, Milbrae, Calif., assignor to W. Bliss Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware 4 Claims.

This invention relates to can body making machines, but has reference more particularly to machines in which the can body blanks are flexed before they are fed into the body maker.

The sheet material, usually tin plate from which'can bodies are made, possesses a resiliency and resistance to bending which should preferably be removed before the ends of the can are placed on the body. For this purpose, a can body maker normally includes a flexing station where the sheet is sharply bent to break the grain and remove its resiliency. This has been a separate operation, either before or after the blank is made into a body.

In modern high speed can machinery, it is desirable to operate the body maker as fast as possible and to provide flexed blanks to be fed into the body maker in suflicient quantity to provide a continuous supply. This should be accomplished without the necessity of a workman constantly replenishing the magazine from which the blanks are fed to the body maker.

Furthermore, such flexing mechanism should operate at a sufliciently high speed to flex blanks more rapidly than they are used by the body maker and thus insure a continuous supply.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. 281,910, filed June 29, 1939, I have described a unit which is adapted to be placed ahead of the body maker to automatically supply properly flexed blanks to the latter, such unit including a pair of magazines with a flexing device interposed therebetween, the blanks being fed from one magazine through the flexing device to the second magazine, which in turn supplies the body maker.

The present application, which is a division of the aforesaid copending application, is directed to the flexing device per se, and more particu larly to the construction thereof.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a flexing device which will operate faster and more efficiently than similar devices heretofore used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexing device comprising a pair of flexing rolls and having incorporated therein means for flexing the blank as it enters the flexing rolls as well as means for straightening or levelling the blank after leaving the rolls.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting and controlling the action of the aforesaid blank flexing and levelling means.

related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a flexing device embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation of the flexing device;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the flexing device will be seen to comprise a pair of polished steel rolls I and 2, each of which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings, the lower roll 2 being carried in fixed bearings 4 and upper roll I being carried in bearings 3 mounted for sliding movement towards and away from the lower roll bearings.

These bearings are of such size that upon moving the upper roll towards the lower roll, the bearings will contact each other before the rolls contact each other, and will keep the rolls separated from each other at least a few thousandths of an inch. In practice, this figure is approximately .006 inch.

For the purpose of normally urging the upper roll towards the lower roll, a pair of compression springs 5 is provided, which at their lower ends bear against the top of the upper roll bearings 3 and at their upper ends are restrained by hollow bolts 6 threadedly secured in the cross-member 'I of the flexing device.

The lower flexing roll 2 is provided at one end 7 with a sprocket "8 which is driven by an electric To the accomplishment of the foregoing and 55 motor (not shown) through the intermediary of a chain 9. The upper roll I is positively driven by the lower roll through the intermediary of pinions I10 and II respectively secured to the upper and lower roll.

entering the rolls, and the blade I acts after the blank leaves the rolls to control the amount it is again straightened. As a blank is fed to the rolls from the left, Fig. 4, it is deflected downwardly against the lower roll 2 by the blade I3 and then passes upwardly between the bite of the two rolls. As it passes on through the rolls, it is stripped from the roll 2 and leveled by the blade I5 and directed into the magazine (not shown) adjacent the body maker proper. As the blank passes through the blades and rolls, it is bent sharply to thereby break its grain and remove the resiliency thereof. The sheets are discharged from the rolls at a speed great enough to enable their momenta to carry them into the adjacent body maker stack.

Each of the blades I3 and I5 is adjustable circumferentially about its roll by rotation of the respective supporting sleeves I2 and I 4 thereof. The upper sleeve I2 is disposed within a semicylindrical recess I6 in the cross-member 'I, and is supported within this recess by means of two bolts II, which are in threaded engagement with the sleeve and have their heads supported by the upper surface I8 of washers I9 interposed between the cross-member and said heads, the curvature of the surfaces I8 corresponding to the cylindricity of the recess I6. Thus, as the bolts II are loosened and shifted circumferentially of the roll I, there will be a corresponding repositioning of the blade I3 by reason of the movement of the supporting sleeve I2 thereof. After the desired position of the blade I3 has been attained, the bolts I! are again tightened and the blade maintained in its adjusted position.

The lower sleeve I4 is similarly disposed within a semi-cylindrical recess 29 of the frame 2| of the flexing device. with knurled heads 23, extend through the crossmember I in threaded engagement with the latter and bear at their lower ends against the upper faces 24 of the sleeve I4. Thus, as the bolts 22 at one side of the rolls are loosened and those at the other side tightened, there will be a corresponding shifting of the sleeve I4 circumferentially of the roll 2, and consequently of the blade I5 supported by said sleeve. It is thus possible to control the degree of flexing of a sheet and the subsequent straightening or leveling effect by adjustment of the sleeves I2 and I4 and the blades carried thereby.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a pair of rolls cooperating to provide a sheet gripping and feeding bite, a sheet deflecting blade disposed at the sheet intake side of said rolls, said blade being operative to deflect a sheet downwardly before it enters the bite of said rolls and upwardly while it passes between said rolls, a sheet leveling and straightening blade disposed at the outfeed side of said rolls and operative to strip the sheet from the roll against which it has been deflected, and means for adjusting said first-named blade A pair of bolts 22, provided circumferentially of one of said rolls. means for adjusting the other blade circumferentially of the other roll, each adjusting means being actuable independently of the other.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of rolls in cooperative relation to provide a sheet gripping and feeding bite, a sleeve encircling each roll, a sheet deflecting blade supported by one of said sleeves and disposed at the sheet intake side of said rolls, said blade being operative to deflect a sheet downwardly toward the roll encircled by the other sleeve before said sheet enters the bite of said rolls and upwardly while it passes between said rolls, a sheet leveling and straightening blade supported by said other sleeve and disposed at the outfeed side of said rolls, said last-named blade operative to strip the sheet from the roll against which it has been deflected, and means for shifting each sleeve in either direction circumferentially of its roll to thereby vary the position of the blade supported thereby.

3. In a device of the character described, a frame, a pair of rolls rotatably carried in said frame in cooperative relation to provide a feeding bite, a sleeve partially encircling each roll, clamping means connecting one of said sleeves to said frame and movable in said frame to vary the circumferential position of said sleeve relative to its roll, a sheet deflecting blade supported by said clamped sleeve and disposed at the sheet intake side of said rolls, said blade being operative to deflect a sheet downwardly toward the roll which is partially encircled by the other sleeve before said sheet enters the bite of said rolls and upwardly while it passes between said rolls, a pair of members carried by said frame on either side of said other sleeve adapted to shift said other sleeve circumferentially in either direction relative to its roll, and a sheet leveling and straightening blade carried by said last-named sleeve and disposed at the outfeed side of said rolls, said last-named blade operative to strip the sheet from the roll against which it has been deflected.

4. In a device of the character described, a frame, a pair of rolls rotatably carried in said frame in cooperative relation to provide a feeding bite, a sleeve partially encircling each roll, clamping means connecting one of said sleeves to said frame, curved members in said frame corresponding in shape to said sleeve for receiving said clamping means, thereby making said clamping means adjustable to vary the circumferential position of said sleeve relative 'to its roll, a sheet deflecting blade having a slightly curved surface supported by said clamped sleeve and disposed at the sheet intake side of said rolls, said blade being operative to deflect a sheet downwardly toward the roll which is partially encircled by the other sleeve before said sheet enters the bite of said rolls and upwardly while it passes between said rolls, a pair of members carried by said frame on either side of said other sleeve adapted to shift said other sleeve circumferentially in either direction relative to its roll, and a sheet leveling and straightening blade carried by said lastnamed sleeve and disposed at the outfeed side of said rolls, said last-named blade operative to strip the sheet from the roll against which it has been deflected.

FRANK KRUEGER. 

